In an era when climate change, sea-level rise and water quality increasingly shape the future of Florida's coastline, FAMU's School of the Environment is using the a solar-powered buoy known as the "Rattler Moji" to train the next generation of environmental scientists while supporting one of the state's oldest industries. Rattler Moji was launched in partnership with NexSens Technology Solutions, and continuously measures the health of coastal waters, transmitting real-time data on salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and other environmental indicators.
"This instrument is able to measure a number of parameters for water quality, including dissolved oxygen, nitrates, temperature, salinity, conductivity, turbidity and total dissolved solids," said Benjamin Mwashote, director of research in FAMU's School of the Environment. "Students use this data for research projects, dissertations, publications and environmental modeling."
Installed in Spring Creek in 2021, the buoy streams environmental information through a cellular network, allowing students and researchers to analyze changing conditions from laboratories, classrooms and even smartphones. The data, once gathered through labor-intensive field sampling and laboratory testing, is now available instantaneously.
For local oyster farmers, that access has become indispensable.
"It definitely helps with record keeping," said Chad Minter, owner of S&M Oyster Company, whose oyster beds lie in the same waters where the buoy is anchored. "I used to have to go out and collect the information myself with my own devices. Now I can pull it up on my computer and see what's been happening out there."
Environmental conditions, particularly salinity, can dramatically affect oyster growth and taste — characteristics increasingly scrutinized by consumers and chefs.
"Some chefs want to know how salty the oysters are," Minter said. "It's nice to know if the bay is extra salty because of a lack of rain or if we've had a lot of rain and the salinity is lower."
For students at FAMU, the buoy offers an unusual opportunity: access to sophisticated, real-time environmental data as undergraduates.
"FAMU is the only university that we know of so far that has the Rattler Moji right outside in Spring Creek," said Rosemarie Rosales, a fourth-year environmental science student. "That alone is such a big advancement."
Rosales said the technology enables students to engage in research that might otherwise be reserved for graduate programs. Her own work focuses on the bioremediation of copper contamination in soil and water, but she said the buoy's data can support a wide range of investigations.
"The buoy is great for future research projects because it provides real-time data for us," she said. "We can look up salinity levels, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature right from our phones."
The buoy is part of a broader effort by the School of the Environment to blend emerging technologies with applied research. Complementing the floating laboratory is the university's NEXUS Geospatial Innovation Mobile Laboratory, a mobile research platform equipped with artificial intelligence, machine learning and geospatial technologies.
Joel Blount Jr., the school's director of student success, said the initiatives expose students to both environmental challenges and career pathways.
"This is our mobile hub to go out and train students on real-world environmental challenges that affect their communities," Blount said. "We're excited about the capabilities we have to make a meaningful impact on students' lives."
For many students, he added, field experiences along Florida's coast are transformative.
"When students come out here, many of them are experiencing the water for the first time," Blount said. "They get to engage with the buoy, work alongside oyster farmers and see what's possible."
As universities nationwide seek to expand experiential learning and strengthen ties with surrounding communities, FAMU's floating laboratory offers a model rooted in both scholarship and service.
In the waters of Spring Creek, the buoy quietly collects data day and night. But its broader mission is preparing future environmental leaders while helping sustain Florida's coastal economy may prove even more significant.